Find Her, Keep Her
Find Her, Keep Her is the fourth episode of the first season of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The story focuses on Rabbit’s adoption of a bluebird named Kessie. Plot During a snowstorm, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit try to salvage a lone carrot in Rabbit’s snow-covered garden. When all of a sudden, the gang hears a “Help”. It’s a baby bluebird in a nest flying around. Then Rabbit abandons the carrot to save the bird. Afterwards, Rabbit volunteers to adopt the bluebird, named Kessie. A few days later, Rabbit is feeling the stress of parenthood after trying to take care of Kessie. When Pooh drops by, Rabbit becomes hysterical and manically says that Kessie can play with Pooh and Piglet while he takes care of his garden. While Pooh and Piglet give Kessie a bath, the bird accidentally puts too much soap in the bath. Rabbit, who says that he’s going to plant his carrots so early in the year that they’ll be ripe by springtime, hears a rumbling coming from inside his house and it explodes with a torrent of suds. Kessie is seen inside a soap bubble floating around nearby. Then Rabbit runs after her. When Rabbit catches her, he tells her that she shouldn’t fly ever again because he doesn’t want anything to happen to her. Kessie promises Rabbit that she won’t. Spring arrives, and Rabbit is teaching Kessie how to weed his garden. Then Rabbit stubs his toe on a pot that has a carrot in it. Kessie says that was the very first carrot she ever planted. Then Tigger bounces on Rabbit, asking if Kessie can play with him. At first Rabbit refuses, saying that Kessie is busy but he says yes when Tigger inadvertently messes around with his garden, pulling up all his carrots. While Tigger bounces around the Wood with Kessie. After bouncing over one tree in one bounce, Tigger encounters a very, very tall dead tree. Knowing that he can't jump over it, Tigger says “I’ll embarrass the tree if jump it all at once. So I’ll take it in three bounces". But once they get to the top, Tigger’s weight is too much for the old dead tree and it begins to shake and fall down. Once it does fall down, Tigger and Kessie find themselves over a very tall cliff. Fearing they are about to fall, Kessie yells for help. Rabbit, who’s still working in his garden, hears the yell and immediately rushes over to the fallen tree to try and help. Because Rabbit’s afraid of heights, he gets halfway up the tree and stops, saying “I can’t move”. Meanwhile, Kessie is hanging on for dear life on Tigger’s tail who is hanging onto the tree by a branch. Then Kessie says that she’s slipping. Then Rabbit faces his fear and inches his way across the frail tree. As it tips even more toward the ledge, Rabbit goes back to his original location and the tree evens out. Knowing that if he moves on, it could cost him, Tigger and Kessie their lives, Rabbit tells Tigger to swing Kessie up to him. Rabbit catches Kessie, but he doesn't have a strong enough grip and she falls. Rabbit bravely tries to jump after her, but Tigger catches Rabbit saying that it’s too late to save her. During Kessie’s free fall, Owl arrives and witnesses her falling, telling her a story about his Uncle Horatio. Meanwhile, Rabbit’s still on the tree sadly telling Tigger that he never told Kessie that he loved her. But as he’s crying, he hears Kessie giggling. Owl is carrying her up to Rabbit, still telling her his story. While the tree is finally going to give way, Rabbit, Kessie and Tigger run off the branch, but Owl stays on and tells Rabbit that Kessie was made for flying, then flies away from the falling tree. Then Kessie says that Owl will teach her to fly, and he says it will be his pleasure and that with a little practice and she’ll be able to fly south for the winter. This deeply troubles Rabbit and out of an act of love says that Owl will never teach Kessie how to fly. As Rabbit walks away with Kessie in his hands, she informs him that she has wings and that she can fly. But Rabbit tells her that flying leads to no good and reminds her of her promise. Later in the day, Rabbit is reading Kessie a story. But Kessie is still sad that she’s not allowed to fly even though it’s her dream to do so. In the middle of the story, Kessie walks away, looks out the window and sees other birds flying. Then as spring gives way to summer and summer to autumn, Kessie is walking around the woods without Rabbit and is still saddened by the fact she can’t fly. Seeing a flock of birds, Kessie decides to climb up a tree and try to fly. But she just falls into a pile of autumn leaves. Trying again, only this time higher in the tree, she fails again and lands right on top of Pooh Bear. She informs Pooh not to tell Rabbit about her flying attempts because it’ll make him so sad. Then Pooh says he’ll help teach her to fly, saying she’s great at going down, but just needs to learn to go up. Then Pooh takes her to a great, big cliff and while Piglet ties a slingshot to two trees at the end of the cliff, Pooh, Piglet and Tigger pull back on the slingshot with Kessie inside the slingshot. But just before Kessie could take her maiden voyage, Rabbit interrupts it and angrily tells Pooh that she’s not flying. Then he steps inside the slingshot and yells at Pooh, saying “You’re teaching Kessie to fly, and against my wishes.” Then Rabbit grabs Kessie away from Pooh’s arms and feels betrayed, but Kessie says she has to fly and that it means everything to her. Tigger, who’s still pulling on the slingshot then tells Rabbit that he should “give the kid a chance.” Rabbit, still inside the sling, tells Tigger to stay out of the conversation and to let go of the slingshot. Although Tigger protests, Rabbit pulls the slingshot out of his hands not knowing that he’s going to get pulled forward by the slingshot and because Rabbit can’t fly, he falls off the cliff. Then Kessie runs off the cliff and tries to save him. During Rabbit’s free fall, he braces himself for the not-so-smooth landing. Then Kessie pulls Rabbit up the ledge with his friends. While Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger celebrate over Kessie’s achievement, saying that she flew excellently and that she can now fly south for the winter, Rabbit walks away sadly, knowing that he’s going to lose Kessie, maybe forever. Later that night, Rabbit is on his rocking chair nearby the fireplace looking at Kessie’s favorite stuffed animal. Then Kessie walks into the room and asks Rabbit to read her one last bedtime story. Then Rabbit walks away, gloomily saying “You don’t need me to read you a bedtime story... You don’t need me for anything.” After Rabbit departs, Kessie sits by the fireplace in her chair and weeps. Then Rabbit is in his room hugging Kessie’s stuffed animal, then the camera pulls out to reveal the Hundred Acre Wood in a fresh blanket of snow. The next morning, Piglet, Pooh, Tigger and Owl are giving Kessie one last lesson in flying. But Rabbit is absent from the event, and Kessie says she can’t leave without saying goodbye to him. Meanwhile, Rabbit’s in his snow-covered garden searching for that first carrot that Kessie planted. While the gang say their last goodbyes, Rabbit does find the carrot then he races against time to say goodbye to Kessie. But Rabbit is too late, Kessie is already airborne before he gets a chance to say goodbye, saying “I’ve change my mind! You can fly... just don’t go away, Kessie.” Realizing that he’ll probably never see Kessie again, he drops her carrot over the cliff and sadly sits on a rock nearby. But then Rabbit hears Kessie’s laugh, and is elated to see her. And Kessie says, “Did you think I would leave without saying goodbye to you?” In the final scene of the episode, Pooh and Piglet are sitting by the enchanted place on top of the forest looking at the sunset. Pooh says he hopes spring comes soon as he can't wait to see Kessie again. Piglet finds it peculiar as all this time he thought Rabbit didn't like her. Pooh, in a rare display of intelligent thinking says that sometimes people care too much and He thinks it's called love. This amazes Piglet who asks Pooh if they should tell Rabbit. Pooh Reassures Piglet That he believes Rabbit already knows. The episode ends with a shot of Rabbit staring out to the sky waiting for Kessie to return in the Spring. Characters * Winnie the Pooh * Piglet * Tigger * Rabbit * Owl * Kessie Cast Credits Produced by WALT DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION Producer/Director KARL GEURS Story Editor MARK ZASLOVE “FIND HER, KEEP HER” Story by MARK ZASLOVE Teleplay by DOUG HUTCHINSON LARRY BERNARD and MARK ZASLOVE With the Talents of JOHN FIEDLER KEN SANSOM HAL SMITH LAURA MOONEY JIM CUMMINGS as Winnie the Pooh and PAUL WINCHELL as Tigger Animation Director DAVID BLOCK Assistant Producer KEN TSUMURA Art Director ED GHERTNER Associate Story Editor BRUCE TALKINGTON Storyboard Designers HOLLY FORSYTH ROB LADUCA Character Designer TOBY SHELTON Additional Character Design KENNY THOMPKINS Background Stylist PARO HOZUMI Additional Background Styling GARY EGGLESTON Color Stylist JILL STIRDIVANT Additional Color Styling DEBRA JORGENSBORG Timing Directors DAVE BRAIN BOB ZAMBONI TERENCE HARRISON Artwork Coordinator KRISTA BUNN Overseas Animation Supervisor MIKE REYNA Post Production Coordinator SARA DURAN Production Assistants JACALEEN VEBER LUANNE WOOD Track Reader SKIP CRAIG Managing Film Editor RICH HARRISON Supervising Editor CHARLIE KING Editor RICK HINSON Assistant Editor GLENN LEWIS Songs Written and Produced by STEVE NELSON Music by THOM SHARP &''' '''STEVE NELSON “Rock A Bye and Keep Still” Performed by KEN SANSOM Animation Production by TMS ENTERTAINMENT, INC. *. ©1988 THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY All Rights Reserved Walt Disney TELEVISION Awards *This episode won the 1989 Humanitas Prize for Outstanding Children’s Programming. Trivia *This is the first appearance of Kessie. She later appears (along with Stan and Heff) in “A Bird in the Hand” in season 3 and made a main character in The Book of Pooh. *This is regarded by many Winnie the Pooh fans as the most heart breaking episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. *First Episode of Holly Forsyth and Rob LaDuca. *This episode along with "Donkey for a Day" and "Friend in Deed" is in Vol. 3: Newfound Friends. *Kessie will later become a full-time character in Disney's "The Book of Pooh" TV series. *This story is reused in it's entirety in the direct-to-video release Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving. Quotes * Rabbit: (sings Kessie a lullaby to stop her from crying) Rock-a-bye, and keep still, 'cause you're driving me crazy! * (Kessie continues crying, until Rabbit wraps her in a blanket and fastens it with a pin) * Rabbit: There. * (Kessie pops out of the blanket and giggles) * Rabbit: (sighs) I'm glad one of us is enjoying this. * Kessie: Daddy sad? * Rabbit: Daddy?! No, no, no. I'm Rabbit. * Kessie: Rabbie? * Rabbit: Rabbit. Rabbit! (turns around and gasps) Oh! * (the milk bottle that is heating on the stove is swelling up to a monstrous size) * Rabbit: (grabs a broom) Back! Back, you monster!! * (he whacks the bottle with his broom, popping it; milk spews all over Rabbit; Kessie laughs) * Tigger: (after Rabbit catches Kessie in his honey jar) Nice catch, Bunny Boy! * (the door on which they are riding, floating in the wind, suddenly sputters like a car) * Tigger: Well, whattaya know? (laughs nervously as the door stops) Outta gas. * (after Kessie's ride in a soap bubble) * Rabbit: Now, Kessie, promise me you won't go so high ever again. It's not safe. * Kessie: But I like it. * Rabbit: But I like you. And I don't want anything to happen to you. * Kessie: I promise, Rabbie. * Tigger: Is something wrong, bunny boy? * Rabbit: (after Kessie has fallen down a cliff, and it seems all hope is lost forever) Oh, Tigger. I never...even told her...I loved her. (breaks down into tears) * Kessie: (giggles) Rabbie! * Rabbit: (shocked) Kessie....! * Tigger: (bounces for joy) YAHOO!!!!! * Pooh: I hope Spring decides to come early this year. I can't wait to see Kessie again! * Piglet: It's the most peculiar thing: For the longest time, I thought Rabbit didn't like her. * Pooh: You know, Piglet, sometimes people care too much. I think it's called "love". * Piglet: Oh! Do you think we should tell Rabbit? * Pooh: Don't worry. I believe he already knows. * Rabbit: (voice over) And that was the last time I saw her. * Tigger: Hiya, bunny-boy! Just dropped by to see if the kiddo can come out and play. * Kessie: Rabbie, please? * Tigger: Yeah, Rabbie. Pleeeeeeeeease? * Rabbit: No, she can't. I was just teaching her something useful. How to weed carrots! * Tigger: Ooh, is he lucky! Weedin' carrots is what Tiggers do best! (he starts pulling up every carrot in Rabbit's garden) * Rabbit: Oh, no! Stop! Stop! * Tigger: (stops) Hey, what's the matter? Am I makin' ya look bad in front of the kid? * Rabbit: You're pulling up my carrots! * Tigger: (looks at the carrots in his hands) Oh! So these are carrots, huh?! Well, whattaya know?! (laughs) * Pooh: (sees that Kessie is unharmed) Rabbit, you saved her! Why, you're a hero! * Rabbit: HERO!?! Fiddle D D! Look at my house! It's a mess! Gallery Kessie - New Adventures.jpg Kessie-209026.jpg Ts.jpg Find Her, Keep Her.jpg 17634441 1184891008303837 3233132669337330254 n.jpg Releases * The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Volume 3: Newfound Friends * Seasons of Giving (edited) * Birds of a Feather (UK) Category:The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episodes Category:The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Category:Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving Category:DVD Category:Book Category:The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Season 1 Category:1988 Episodes Category:Stubs Category:VHS Category:Episodes with Songs Category:Nintrndo ds game Category:Rabbit episode